Twining deciduous climber with pinnate leaves and clusters of intensely fragrant small white star-shaped flowers from midsummer to early autumn. The classic European garden jasmine.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 7–10 | −17.8 °C to 4.4 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H4 | −10 °C to −5 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 8–9 | −7 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 3–6 | −5 °C to 15 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
About Common jasmine
Common jasmine is the source of one of the most valuable materials in perfumery, and the reason for its cost is that the flowers release their scent at night and lose it rapidly once picked, so they are gathered by hand in darkness or the early hours. The scent is dominated by a small group of compounds including indole, which is unpleasant at high concentration and central to the character of the perfume at low ones. It is a true jasmine; star jasmine, widely grown for the same effect, belongs to a different family entirely.
Growing notes
- Plant against a warm wall, fence, or pergola — fragrance carries on warm summer evenings, peaks at dusk
- Source of jasmine absolute for traditional perfumery — flowers picked just before dawn at peak fragrance
- Hardy enough for southern UK and similar mild temperate climates — deciduous response to cold protects the rootstock
- Vigorous — provide stout support, allow 3–6 m of space
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Related plants
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